Automatic cigar handling device



. Nov. 1, 1932. N. CHRISTENSEN 9 AUTOMATIC CIGAR HANDL ING DEVICE Filed Nov. 20, 1930 49 5155 18 5737 J9 q 36 5 -m r n u 1 L i h 63 3760 4248 :1 i 11. 76 ii p 12 i; '1 74 73 12/ 15 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1 1932 NELSON CHRISTENSEN, OF BROOKLYN, VNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL CIGAR IiTACI-IINERYCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW' J AUTOMIATIC CIGAR HANDLING DEVICE Application filed novem er zo, 1930. SeriatNo. 497,050.

This invention relates to'automatic cigar handling devices, its 11121111 object being to transfer a clgar from'one place to another and at the same time to turn it at an angle to its vertical axis. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain construe tionsand combinations which will be here inafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the process of manufacturingv and boxing cigars, it is continually necessary to transfer the cigars from, one pos1t1on to another andwhen the respective positions are at right angles to one another, the cigar must be swung around about 1ts vertlcal axis 1n transit,usually with the additional condition that it must not be turned circumferentially while. being transferred.

In the present invention, this object is ac complished by a swinging arm carrying rotatably mounted clamping fingers which turn the cigar through an angle while the swinging arm transfers the same.

ceiving apparatus which in the case illus-' trated is the, turret of a banding machine which is thus automatically fed from'a cigar envelopingmachine placed at an angle to the former.

In the accompanying drawing which form apart of this specification and in which like ,charactersof reference indicate'the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is aside elevationof the cigar turnfrom the support to the guide and turning them about their own vertical axes in transit,

andmeans ifor moving the cigars along the a for moving the cigars along the guide includes' a pusher connected to a reciprocating The swinging arm is operated by means of a" guide. In the best constructions contemplated, the transferring, means includes a' swinging arm and clamping fingers rotatably mounted on the-swinging arm, and the means rack. These various means and parts may bewidely varied in construction withinthe scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one,

of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described. v

The base 10 of the enveloping machine carries frames 11 and 12, the latter supportin a plate 13. The frames 11 carry a cross shaft 1% on which isvfastened a gear 15 meshing with a gear 16turning on'studl'l, the gear 16 being combined with a cam, 18. The cam 18 on turning actuates an arm 19 by means of a cam roller 20 mounted on a stud 21. The arm 19 is pivoted on a. stud 22, fastened to a bracket 23 attached to base 10, andis joined to a link 241 by a stud 2.5.. The link Qcarriesa stud 26 engaging a slot in the arm 27 fastened to a hollow, rock, shaft 28;,

mounted in bearings 29" and 30 attached to base 10. Fastened toshaft 28is a gear-seg ment 31 adjacent a stationary arm 32 atwith segment 31." Tothe gear 34: is attached a gear 35which meshes with a rack 36 slid ably mounted on the frame 13 and v operating a pusher 37. Aswinging arm 38 is also fastened to the hollow shaft 28 for a. purpose hereinafter described; To thebearing 30 is attached asprocket 39,which,bymeans of'a, chain 40' and a sprocket segment 41 imparts a rocking motion to a shaft 42 carried by a sleeve 413 attached to swinging arm 38, as the latter swings "back and forth,

formed as a straight line'below its centre as shownin Fig. 1. On the crossshaft 141, is mounted a sprocket ll driving through chain 15 a sprocketfi turning on shaft28 for a; purpose hereinafter described; The chain; may be kept in tension byaigravity idler] v The; sprocl'ret segment 41 has its lower edgesprocket engaging its upperrun as in Fig. 1.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: 7

The gear 15 which is driven from the main shouldered stud 50 while the clamping finger' 48 is'mounted on a movable arm 51 pivoted'on the head 49. The stud 50 which carries liefbevel gears 52' and 53 is held in head 54 of shaft Bevel gear meshes with gear segment 55 attached to sleeve 43 which supports shaft 42. Inserted into the ends fthe sleeve 43 are the bushings 56 in which revolves the shaft 42.

The object of providing the bevel gear 52 is to enable the cigar C to be turned about its vertical axis in the opposite direction so that the proper end of the cigar can be in serted into the banding machine gripper in case the cigar is delivered by tie enveloping machine in the reverse position from that shown in the'drawing. the transfer forfthe reverse position of the cigar, it is only necessary to turn sleeve43 in arm 38 by 180 degrees so that the gear" segment 55 then To set 5' meshes with gear 52 instead of gear 53, there by reversing the direction of motion of stud 50.

i In moving from position 27 to position 27,

i thearm27 turns the rock shaft 28 thereby 4.0

moving the swinging arm 38 into the dotted position 38. The motion of arm 38 causes the chain to rotate the sprocket 41 which turns the shaft 42, maintaining the stud in substantially vertical position and cans -irigjthe gear 52 or 53 to roll 'on the gear en-" gagement 55, which rotates the stud 50,and thereby'swings'the cigar atright angles to its axis as shown in the dotted position. The

ci ar, on having reached this point, is re- 5O'3l ased from the clamping fingers 47 and 48 by means hereinafter described. 7

The movable arm 51 is fixed on a rod 57 loosely mounted in the head 49 and carrying on one of its upwardly bent ends a roller 58 which comes into engagement with a stationary cam piece 59 and'thus swings the finger 48 away from the cigar C, thereby allowing the latter to drop into the guide 60 in which fit is pushed forward by the plunger 37 atta ched to rack 36 while being held down by afiat spring 61 fastened to bracket. 62 attached to plate 13. When-the roller 58 leaves the ca'm'piece 59, a spring 63 wound around the rod 57 and fastened thereto at one end and fastened at its'oth'erend to a pin 64 carried by the head 49, causes the finger 48 to close. In the meanwhile the sprocket 44 driven by gear 15 has turned the sprocket 46 which carries a cam 65, the latter thus coming into engagement with a cam roller 66 on a stud 67 in block 68 on shaft 69 which latter is loosely fitted into the hollow shaft 28. Therefore, when the cam engages with the 68iand in doing so, it moves the pin 7 0 carried by shaft 69 and sliding in a slot 71 of shaft 28 into the. dotted position The pin 70 in this position trips on arm 72 pivoted 011 stud 73 carried by the hub 7 4 of arm 38. The other end of arm 72, by a stud 75,

I rollerfifi, the block 68 is moved intoposition is pivoted to a link 76 attached tostud 77 r of arm 7 8 swinging on a pin 7 9 held by a projection 80 of arm' 38. F astened to the arm 78 is a rod 81. causes the rod 81 to move downwardly to engage with a roller 82011 rod 57, thereby opening the movable finger 48 which then is ready The tripping of arm 72? to grip the next cigar discharged from the turret T. The forward movement of the cigar C by the pusher 37' causes the preceding cigar C delivered to the guide 60 to be pushed into gripper G of'the banding machine.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a cigar handlingdevice, the combi-- nation with a support for cigars, of a guide on said support arranged 'to deliver the cigars to a cigar banding machine, means for grip-' ping the mid-section of cigars and transferring themfromsaid support to said guide and turning them about their 'ownvertical axesin transit, and a device for moving the cigars along said guide, said means including a rock shaft, an arm secured to said rock shaft, a stud rotatably mountedon'said arm, a stationary'clamping finger fixed on'said stud, a movable clamping finger pivoted on,

said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and normally caus ng it to close, means ci ar on said support, inechanismfor turningsaid shaft, whereby to swing said armto carry said cigar'to a position overlying said guide, gear means for/rotating said stud to align said cigar with said guide, and cam for opening said movable finger to engage a-"uo ring them from said support to said guide iand turning them'about; their ownverti'cal axes. in trans1t, and a device for moving the cigars along said guide, said means including alnovable arm, mechanism for moving said arm, relatively movable clamping-fine gers connected to said arm, mechanism for relatively closing said fingers on a cigar, and

mechanism for relatively opening said fingers to release said cigars.

3. In a cigar handling device, the combination with a support for cigars, of a guide on said support arranged to deliver the cigars to a cigar banding machine, means for transferring cigars from said support to said guide and turning them about their own vertical axes in transit, and a device for moving the cigars along said .guide, said means including a rock shaft, and said device including a pusher, a rack connected to said pusher, and a gear connected to said rock shaft and engaging said rack. V

1. Means for transferring cigars, comprising a rock shaft, an arm secured to said rock shaft, a normally vertical stud rotatably mounted on said arm, a stationary clamping finger fixed on said stud, a movable clamping finger pivoted on said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and nor mally causing it to close, means for opening said movable finger to engage arcigar, mechanism for turning said shaft, whereby to swing said arm to carry said cigar to delivery position, gear means for rotating said stud to turn the cigars about their own vertical axes in transit, and cam means for opening said movable finger to release said cigar.

5. Means for transferring cigars, comprising a rock shaft, an arm secured to said rock shaft, a stud rotatably mounted on said arm,

a stationary clamping finger fixed on said stud, a' movable clamping finger pivoted on said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and normally causing it to close, means for opening said movable finger to engage a cigar, mechanism for turning said shaft, whereby to swing said arm to carry said cigar to delivery position, gear means for ro- .tatmg said stud, and cam means for opening said movable finger to release said cigar,

' said means for opening said movable finger to engage a cigar including a roller connect ed to said movable finger, linkage carried by said arm and arranged to engage said roller to open said movable finger,.a shaft slidably mounted in said rock shaft, and a cam on said rock shaft for actuating said slidable shaft to engage said pin with said linkage.

6. Means for transferring cigars, comprising a rock shaft, an arm secured to said rock shaft, a normally vertical stud rotatably mounted on said arm, a stationary clamping finger fixed on said stud, a movable clamping finger pivoted on said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and normally causing it to close, means for opening said movable finger to engage a cigar, mechanism for turning said shaft, whereby to swing said arm to carry said cigar to delivery position, gear means for rotating said stud to turn the cigars about their own vertical axes in transit, and cam means for opening said movable finger to release said cigar, said mechanismincluding a cam connected tosaid rock shaft. I

7. Means for transferring cigars, compris ing a rock shaft,an arm secured to said rock shaft,,a stud rotatably mountedon saidarm, a stationary clamping finger fixed on said stud, a movableclamping fingerpivoted on said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and normally causing it toclose, means -for.opening said movable finger to engage a cigar, mechanism forturning saidshaft, whereby toswing said arm.to carry said cigar to delivery position, gear mean'js for rotating. said stud, and cam means for opening said movable finger to releasesaid cigar, said lgear means including a gear fixed onfsaid stud, a-shaftcarried by said arm, a

gear segment engaging said gear and-carried by said shaft, a sprocket fixed on said shaft, a-stationary-sprocket and achain connecting said sprockets, whereby swinging of said arm will rotate said stud. g

8. Means for transferring cigars, comprising a rock shaft, an arm secured to said rock shaft, a: stud rotatably mountedo'nsaid arm, a stationary clamping finger fixed on. said stud, a movable clamping finger pivoted on said stud, a spring connected to said movable finger and normally causing it to close, means for'opening said movable finger to engage a cigar, mechanism for turning said shaft, whereby to swing said arm to carry said cigar to delivery position, gear meansfor rotating said stud, and cam means for opening said movable finger to release said cigar, said cam means including a roller connected to said movable finger and a stationary cam piece arranged to engage said roller when the cigar is in delivery position.

9. Means for transferring articles, comprising a movable arm, means for moving said arm to delivery position, relatively movable clamping fingers, a support for said fingers rotatably mounted on said arm, means for causing said fingers to engage an article,

-means for relatively opening said fingers to release the article when said arm'reaches delivery position, and mechanism for rotating said support to turn the articlein transit, said support including a sleeve rotatably mounted in said arm, a stud rotatably mounted in said sleeve, and said mechanism including gears fixed to each end of said stud, a shaft mounted insaid arm, a gear segment secured to said shaft and adapted to engage either of said gears to rotate said stud in opposite directions, a sprocket secured to said shaft, a stationary sprocket, and a chain connecting said sprockets.

10. Means for transferring articles, comprising a movable arm, means for moving said arm-to delivery position, relatively movable clamping fingers, a support for said finers rotatably mounted on said arm, means or causing said fingers toiengage an article, means for relatively opening said fingersto release the article, when said arm reaches de- 5 livery position, and mechanism for rotating said support to turn the article in transit, said 7 means for causing said fingers to engage the article including a linkage, a movable shaft,

a pin carried by said shaft and adapted to en- 30 gage said linkage, and a cam arranged to move said shaft, whereby to actuate said pin.

11. Means for transferring articles, comprising a movable arm, means for moving said arm to delivery position, relatively movable clamping fingers, a support .for said fingers rotatably mounted on said-arm, means for causing said fingers: to engage an article, means for relatively opening said fingers to release the article when said arm reaches 3.5 delivery position, and mechanism for rotating said supportto-turn the article in transit,

said means for relatively opening said fingers to release the article including a roller connected to one of said'fingers and a stationary 25 cam piece adapted to engage said roller When said arm reaches delivery position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

NELSON CHRISTENSEN. 

